Garment tray



H. THISS GARMENT TRAY Jan. 15, 1935.

2 Sheets-Sheet` l Filed NOV. 6, 1933 ,w .Mailings/r l J JNTOR.

2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. .C7471 i ATTORNEYS.

H, THISS GARMENT TRAY Filed Nov. 6, 1935 Jan. 15, 1935' Patented Jan. 15, 1935 PATENT OFFICE GARMENT TRAY l HoytThiss, Minneapolis, Minn., assigner to Hartkmann TrunkfCompany, Racine, Wis., a corporation of Wisconsin u p Appli'cationnyember 6, 1933, serial No. 696,315

somma' (01.'190-41) present invention-relates in general to improvlments' in the construction of garmenttrays, und relates more specifically to an improved tray structure especially applicable to suitcases,

I or otherforms `of luggage,v for; the purpose of foldably confining wearing apparel vor garments. m l

A genera-1 object of the invention'is to provide an improved garment tray whichis simple and ecmpact in construction, andwhich is moreover highly efficient and practical in use.;y v-

VThe present modes of travel make it imperative for luggage manufacturers to i-reduce to-a minimum the sizeI andfweight ofthe luggage without undesirably sacrificing available space. The traveling` Public yalso demands'I that containers for Wearing apparel such as suits, overceats, and kvdresses, be adapted to effectively fold and conceal Such garments Without crushing and wrinklins the same: andzthat suchsarments be readily accessible `without disturbing other goods confined within the carrying case -orpiece of luggage.r While it isdesirable to have such garmentsthus snugly and safely conned within the case during transportation, itis also frequently desirable to removethe articles already mounted 01,1 hanging devices, so thatr the same may be readily properly hung in acloset or wardrobe when the destination'of the traveler has been reached, Y I 1 ,It is s more speci-fic obieetef the-present i11- vention tol provide an improved `garment tray for ceses or luggage which meets" all Qi the special ifequirenients` for every class of transportation, andfor `the traveling trade in general. f

Another specific Object v.eff-the .-inventionfiis to provide an improvedv giaument-l tray which is es.- pecially adapted Afor the reception and effective housing in neatly folded'condition of vwearing apparel such as suits,A coats, dresses orthelike. Another specifici object of theinvention is to provide uny improved. garment tray vincluding a dethuble gan-nent hanger which occupies a minimum amount of space and which is vadapted for snug confinement with-inav carrier case or for removal therefrom; the garment hanger being susceptible gf user` independent Aofthe tray, for hanging a sermentk ina closetorwardrobe- A further specific object of the invention is to provide a garment tray having a sliding cover panel, and susceptible of use in a case in a reversed position as an ordinary tray :for segregatving articles of apparel and other traveling paraphemelia.

These and other objects andadventases will be apparent from the following detailed description. f

A clear conception of several embodiments of the invention, wherein the same is applied to an ordinary suitcase, may be had by referring to the 5 drawings accompanying and forming a part of this specification, in Which like reference characters designate the same or similar parts in the various views:

Fig. 1 is a top view of the improved garment l0 tray with a suit mounted on the hanger and stretched over the tray prior to being folded thereon and confined; -1 Y Fig. y2 2 is an inverted plan view showingthe garment as folded Aand conned vwith respect to l5 the tray and the slide panel partially moved toward closed position; Y

Fig. 3 is an enlarged transverse sectional view ofthe garment tray; f

Fig. 4 is anenlarged fragmentary plan view showing the detachable connection between the hanger and tray; Y

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary detail sectional view taken on line 5-5 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 6 is a transverse sectional view through an open suitcase having the improved garment tray therein;

Fig. .'I is a plan View of the garment tray fitted with a bar for the draping of womens garments;

`Fig. -8 is a viewv similar to Fig. 2 only showing the confinement and folding of a dress with 1e-, spect to the tray;

Fig. 9 is an enlarged transverse sectional View vof the form of tray and garment bar illustrated in Figs. l and 8; and 35 Fig. 10 is a transverse sectional view through an open suitcase having the improved garment tray therein inja reversed position, for use as an ordinary luggage tray.

f While the improved garment tray will be hereinafter described as being applied to an ordinary suitcase, it should be understood that it is not intended to thereby limit the scope of the invention since some of the novel features are obviously generally applicable. 45

Referring to the drawings it will appear that the suitcase comprises a main section 12, acover section 13 swingably connected to the mainsec'- tion by` means of a hinge 14, and side vstraps or stays-15 for limiting the swinging movement of 5 the cover section 13. The main section may be provided with a partition 16. Within the main section above the partition there are rails 17 secured to inner surfaces of the end walls of said main section. Said rails removably support the 5,5

improved garment tray 18 within the upper portion of said main section.

The improved garment tray 18 comprises a plate 9 having integral end walls 20, and a rear side wall 21. Angled guide strips 22 are carried by the free edge portions of the end Walls 20 and the horizontal flanges of said strips are spaced from the recessed edge portions 23 of the walls 20 to form forwardly opening slots 24 slidably receiving the side edge portions of a cover plate or panel 25.

Secured to the rear wall 21, intermediate its ends, is an arm 26 which extends over the rear medial portion of the plate 19 and the projecting end portion thereof is formed with an aperture 27. Arranged to cooperate with said arm 26 is a coat hanger 28 carrying at its upper edge portion, intermediate its ends, a hook 29 for detachable engagement with the apertured portion of the arm 26. By this means the coat hanger may be removably mounted on the tray against the outer face of the plate 19. A hook 30 is pivotally attached to the coat hanger, and when the coat hanger is removed from the tray the hook 30 is swung from the position in Figs. 3 and 4 through an arc of one hundred and eighty degrees to permit the suspending of the coat hanger in a closet or Wardrobe in the usual manner.

In using the improved garment tray, the tray is removed from the suitcase or other housing and is disposed on a supporting surface with the plate 19 uppermost, as in Fig. 1. The hanger 28 is disengaged from the arm 26 and a coat or suit is hung on the hanger in the usual manner. Next, the hanger is engaged with the arm 26 to secure the hanger to the tray. The suit will then lie flatly over the plate 19 and beyond its side edge, as shown. The panel 25 should be removed from the guide strips 22 and then, if the tray is turned bodily through an arc of one hundred and eighty degrees, the garments will fold medially on the edge of the plate 19 and will lie within the tray. Then, the panel 25 is slid into closing position and the folded over portions of the garments will be confined within the tray. The tray should then be reversed so that the plate is uppermost and the tray is disposed in the section 12 of the suitcase in this position, resting on the cleats or rails` 1'7, as in Fig. 6. Other portions of the suitcase may be packed With garments and articles and the same will remain segregated from the garments confined by the tray. The garments on the tray will be held in a neatly folded and compact condition, and are readily accessible at all times. Also, during traveling, said garments are Well protected against crushing and wrinkling.

A slightly modified form of tray structure is illustrated in Figs. '7 to 10 inclusive. In the form of tray structure rst described, the tray has associated therewith a hanger for coats, suits and mens garments, while in the modification, to be described, the tray has a garment bar 31 removably associated therewith, the bar being especially designed for the draping thereover of dresses and womens garments.

Referring particularly to Figs. '7 and 8 it will be noted that the rear outer portion of the plate 19 carries spaced apart spring clips 32. Said clips detachably, frictionally engage the capped end portions 33 of the garment bar 31, the garment bar being of circular form in cross-section. A dress or like garment 34 is medially engaged by and hung over the detached bar 31 and then the bar is mounted in the clips 32 on the tray, with the dress draping over the plate 19, as shown in Fig. 7. When the tray is inverted, the dress will fold about the free edge of the plate 19 into the tray and can be conned by the panel 25 which is slid into closing position, as in Fig. 8. The tray is then. mounted in the suitcase or container in the manner previously described.

This form of garment tray may also carry an arm 26 so that it may be used either with a bar 31, or with a coat hanger 28, the latter being usable and engageable with the arm 26 when the garment bar 31 is removed.

If desired the improved garment tray may be used in a container as an ordinary trunk or suitcase tray for loose articles and paraphernalia. In this event the tray is positioned within the suitcase in an inverted position, as in Fig. 10, with the panel 25 uppermost, said panel being `slidable to aiord aecess to the interior of the tray From-the foregoing description, it will be apparent that the invention provides simple, compact, and readily accessible means for confining garments within a housing in a folded condition; and without wrinkling or crushing the garments. The improved tray structure besides being light and strong, may be applied to various types of housings. Not only is the tray readily removable bodily from a container or housing, but the garment hanger is readily removable from the tray, whereby accessibility to the garments and to portions of the tray and housing, are readily alforded. The garment hanger provides means for hanging a removed garment in a closet. The structure has proven highly successful in commercial use, especially as applied to a standard luggage case, as illustrated herein.

It should be understood that it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact details of construction herein shown and described, for various modifications within the scope of the claims may occur to persons skilled in the art.

What is claimed as the invention is:

1. In combination, a tray having'a supporting plate and rails vsurrounding three sides of said plate, a cover panel removably closing the tray and engaging some of said rails in spaced parallel relation to said plate, and a garment hanging device mounted on the outer face of the plate remote from the free side thereof.

2. In combination, a garment tray having a supporting plate and 'rails surrounding three sides of said plate, a cover panel spaced from said plate and slidably engaging avpair of said rails, and a garment hanging device removably mounted on the outer face of the plate remote from the free edge thereof.

3. In combination, a garment tray having supporting plate and rails surrounding three sides of said plate, a cover panel spaced from said plate and removably engaged by a pair of said rails, and a garment hanging device removably mounted on the outer face of the plate remote from the free edge thereof, said hanging device being adapted to have a garment draped thereover which is folded medially over the free edge of said plate with a substantial portion of the garment being conned within thev tray lbetween the plate and panel.

4. A garment housing insertible in trunks, suitcases and the like, comprising a relatively at hollow container having a movable cover forming one wall thereof and having an open end, and a garment hanging device detachably carried by an exterior portion of a wall of the container teriorly connected to the wall opposite the cover Wall and adjacent the edge opposite the open end of the container intermediate the sides thereof, said coat hanger being adapted to have garments draped thereover which fold over the free edge of a Wall of the container and extend into the container through the open end thereof.

HOYT THISS 

